Cleaning/rejuvenation of rivers is an ongoing activity. It is the primary responsibility of the States/Union Territories (UTs) to ensure the cleanliness of water in the rivers within their jurisdiction. States and UTs are to ensure that the Urban Local Bodies and Industrial Units located in their jurisdiction carry out the treatment of sewage and industrial effluents to the prescribed norms before discharging into rivers and other water bodies, coastal waters or land to prevent and control of pollution therein. For conservation of rivers, Ministry of Jal Shakti has been supplementing efforts of the States/UTs by providing financial and technical assistance for abatement of pollution in identified stretches of rivers in the country through the Central Sector Scheme of Namami Gange for rivers in Ganga basin and through the Centrally Sponsored Scheme of National River Conservation Plan (NRCP) for other rivers. Setting up of Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) is one of the important components of these programmes.

Proposals for pollution abatement works in the towns and cities along polluted river stretches are received from the States/UTs from time to time for consideration under NRCP and sanctioned based on their prioritization, conformity with guidelines of these schemes/programs, availability of plan funds, etc. NRCP has so far covered polluted stretches on 35 rivers in 78 towns spread over 16 States in the country with the project sanctioned cost of  Rs. 6,142 crore, and inter alia, a sewage treatment capacity of  2,745.70 million liters per day (mld) has been created.

An amount of Rs. 2799 crore has been released to various States/UTs Governments as Central share for implementation of various pollution abatement schemes under NRCP. The funding pattern for NRCP is in the ratio of 60:40 between Centre and State (with effect from 01.04.2016) and for North East & Hill States, it is in the ratio of 90:10. The Mula Mutha river conservation action plan at Pune, Maharashtra is being implemented with a funding pattern of 85:15 between Central Government and the State Government.

Under the Namami Gange programme, 374 projects, including 161 projects for sewage treatment of 5,015.26 mld and a sewer network of 5,134 km, have been sanctioned at a cost of Rs.31,098 crore. The Namami Gange programme envisages 100% Central Government funding for the entire life cycle cost of the assets created which includes 10-year Operation & Maintenance (O & M) cost.

Details of State/UT wise sanctioned cost and expenditure incurred under NRCP and NamamiGange programme is at Annexure.

In addition, sewerage infrastructure is created under programs like Atal Mission for Rejuvenation & Urban Transformation (AMRUT) and Smart Cities Mission of Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs.

This information was given by the Minister of State, Shri Bishweswar Tudu in a written reply in Lok Sabha today.

ANNEXURE

(a) State/UT wise sanctioned cost and expenditure incurred under NRCP:

(Rs. in crore)

(b) State/UT wise sanctioned cost and expenditure incurred under Namami Gange programme

 (Rs. in crore)

*The sanctioned cost and expenditure includes sewage infrastructure and ghats & crematoria projects.

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